


Gold and Silver

by Lidsworth



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Anxiety, Class Issues, Friendship, Platonic Relationships, but shippy if you want, glorfy and etchelion are commoners not lords, rags to riches (sort of), they have opinions about Turgon and the house of finwe, this is all very new for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 23:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12899466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lidsworth/pseuds/Lidsworth
Summary: Ecthelion has his reservations about being knighted. Glorfindel attempts ease those concerns, though not without dealing with anxieties of his own.





	Gold and Silver

**Author's Note:**

> basically my headcanon where Glorfindel and Ecthelion were commoners to begin with. I wrote it on tumblr originally but decided to move it here. Anyway check out my [blog](http://inkstranger.tumblr.com/):D I'm my own beta so mind my mistakes. Give me kudos, give me comments, give me love :,D.

“A little costumish, eh?” Chides the soon to be Lord of the Golden Flower, clipping his gauntlet on his wrist tightly before stepping back and taking in his appearance in the the body length mirror.    
  


He looks ridiculous, of course, his only saving grace his unkempt, untamed golden hair. The gaudy bronze plates and dark blue sashes seem like an outfit more appropriate for a bard rather than a Lord, but then again, Glorfindel could never tell the difference. Lords and bards were the same to him, in both appearance and in  politics.

The ban of the Noldor from Valinor doesn’t change that.

“Certainly a step up from dirt stained gloves and torn pants,” adds Ecthelion as he comes into view, placing his diadem atop of his intricately braided hair, then warns: “You’ll want to tie that up, it’s not ‘proper for elven Lords to have their hair so out and about’”.

The blond elf steps aside, and takes a seat on the cushion beside the mirror.

“Unless you’re prince Aegnor,” Glorfindel says sarcastically, before rolling  his eyes at  Ecthelion’s cheap attempt to mock King Turgon’s ‘royal’ lingo as they dubbed it in Valinor, so different and so alien from their commoner lingo.

  
Well, suppose we’re no longer commoners, might as well learn to speak like them, Glorfindel thinks to himself, somewhat deflated as he takes notice of his unruly hair spilling down his chest,  and dress like them too.

There is a sense of remorse that settles in his gut for a small moment, a time to lament what he is losing.  
  
Though at the moment, the magnitude of what he has signed away does not fully register(and it won’t until Turgon orders him to throw their first prisoner down the mountain).

Ethelion has grown silent as well, standing before the mirror, and seemingly lost.  Concerned, Glorfindel looks up towards his friend.  

  
“Etchelion, is ev–”

  
“Are we…ready for this?” Frets Ecthelion, eyes distant as he stares into the mirror, at himself. He suddenly feels like a small elfling dressing in a knight’s armor, and the Oath that he is to take has him quivering in oversized boots.

What they did on the Helcaraxe was one thing, but this…this is something else. This is something bigger.

This is a lifetime commitment.

Below him Glorfindel sighs.

“Do we have a choice now?” He manages through a mouthful of ribbon, as he gathers the golden strands of his hair into his pony tail, “We can’t back out now.”

“I know, I know,” Ecthelion answers, considering Glorfindel’s blunt dismissal, “ but..knights…it’s a lot.”

“The king doesn’t seem to think so,” reassures the florist, as he ties his hair,“Turgon has hope in us, we’d do well to have a bit of hope in ourselves.”

“Sounds like you have all the hope you need,” amused, Ecthelion teases, “Me, on the other hand…I’d much rather be in my father’s shop playing his flute by now.”

“And I would much rather be dragging my newest roses to the market for whatever little penny I could afford, but we can’t all get what we want” Glorfindel retorts, tone irritated at Ecthelion’s  assumptions.

  
Taken aback by the sudden change of  tone, Ecthelion sighs. He knows he’s been unbearable, he knows he’s being annoying. He tends to be like this whenever a certain issue manages to settle itself under his skin.

  
Knowing this of his friend, the Vanya sighs.

“Listen I’m sorry,” Glorfindel apologizes, slightly guilt ridden at the solemn expression plastered on Ecthelion’s face.  

“And I am nervous, terrified actually,” he continues, the only indication that he tells the truth being the slight shrill in his voice as he speaks, “We’re peasants Ecthelion. The only experience we have with leading anyone is from directing other elves on the weekends when the market is crowded. Yes, we managed to lead some people to safety on the Helcaraxe, even managed to fight off orcs, but that was it. At least we thought it was, but then Turgon came knocking on our door and invited us to his court, and now we’re here.”

“Then why did we say yes?” Now it’s Ecthelion’s turn to raise his voice, and his tone hangs in between the balance of desperation and anger.

  
“Because we wanted to make a difference,” Glorfindel states plainly, standing to full height and placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder,  “Life in Valinor was hard for people like us. Royalty never did anything to help elves like us, never. But we’re royalty now, so maybe we can help people like us.”

Ecthelion is silent as he considers Glorfindel’s words. And…he’s not wrong. Initially, Ecthelion wasn’t sure why he accepted Turgon’s request, it hadn’t registered until now that he wanted to make a difference. He’d spent so long hating the House of Finwe, even agreed to leave Valinor with Glorfindel,  for the hope of a better life free of their control.

  
Not just for him, but for his people. And when the time came for him to be in a position of power where he could do just that, where he could help people like him, he accepted.

  
He may like  Turgon, but he loves his people–the poor and struggling. And  If becoming a lord of Gondolin means he can help them, then by all means, he’ll do it.

“Do you think we can?”

  
“I hope we can.” Responds Glorfindel, in all earnesty.

Glorfindel gives a gentle squeeze to  Ecthelion shoulder, and the younger elf returns the action by placing his hand atop of Glorfindel’s.

  
“My lords,” without so much as a knock, a servant lets himself into the dressing room, nose turned upward and disgust evident in his voice, “The king will see you now.”

  
He doesn’t wait for a response, not even an indication that the two hear him. He turns on his heels, and leaves.  Glorfindel raises an eyebrow as he crosses his arms, “How kind.”   
  


“He’s more of a Lord than we’ll ever be,” Ecthelion says, amused as he turns towards the door. Not everyone is ecstatic that the soon to be knighted Lords of Gondolin are commoners. And if they’re already receiving such “warm” welcomes from the staff, Ecthelion loathes to find out how the court will receive he and Glorfindel.

“Not exactly,” Glorfindel corrects, following Ecthelion, closely, “We’re the Lords now, Ecthelion. It’s time we change the expectations.”

  
“You mean by lowering them?”

  
“No, Ecthelion,” Glorfindel responded, with a smirk, “By raising them.”

**Author's Note:**

> So my personal headcanon is that Glorfindel is like, a Vanyar elf (at least part).   
> -They’re both commoners and dirt poor, they planned to bail when they got the Middle Earth but Turgon ended up dragging them to Gondolin due to what they did on the Helcaraxe. Essentially they took lead when everyone else was losing hope.
> 
> -Glorfindel is a florist, Ecthelion plays music for hire.
> 
> -I know they don’t use pennies in Valinor but idk what the currency is.
> 
> -They’re part of the lower class, so they don’t like the upper class (House of Finwe) because they’ve done nothing for the poor folk
> 
> Hope yall like it, please leave a kudos and a comment :,D


End file.
